ATKINSON COUNTY, Ga. (WALB) - Across Georgia, car seat misuse remains a leading cause of injury for young children, but Atkinson County is taking action by training first responders to become certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians.

Nearly three out of every four car seats in Georgia are used improperly, according to the Department of Public Health. That risk can turn a crash into a tragedy.

First responders in Atkinson County are undergoing certified training to help families install car seats properly and spot common safety mistakes.

Atkinson County’s Assistant EMS Director, Quinn Beltramo said these skills are essential.

“Everybody who cares for a child needs to know how to put in the car seat correctly – whether that is mom and dad, grandparents [or] whether that is your friend that’s just babysitting for the day,” Beltramo said. “Knowing that the car seat is properly installed can greatly reduce the injury sustained by a child in the event of a vehicle collision.”

700 children under the age of 12 died in car crashes nationwide in 2023, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). The DOT said it’s known that 620 of those 700 children were using car seats (a.k.a. restraint use). Of the 620, they determined that 264, or about 43%, were unbuckled, not properly buckled or otherwise unrestrained.

Officials said sometimes it’s not neglect, it’s confusion. Car seat instructions can be tricky, and this program gives EMS workers the tools to help families keep children safe.

Beltramo continued, “The vehicle manufacturers give [instruction] booklets, but that’s a lot of information, and they use technical jargon a lot in that. And so, this training teaches us how to simplify those words down from the jargon to what really matters to parents, which ultimately is keeping their child safe.”

Sometimes, accidents are not preventable, but emergency responders can control how efficiently they respond. Part of this training focuses on post-crash care. To further strengthen that response, Atkinson County has also added an emergency child restraint system that is designed to safely transport children after a crash, especially when car seats are damaged or no longer usable.

“You don’t see pediatric emergencies often, but when you do, you need to be able to render that care quickly and efficiently,” Beltramo added. “We can’t always prevent that, but we can do is make sure that we provide the best quality of care in our local area”

By equipping emergency service agencies with the knowledge to properly install car seats and tools for when accidents do happen, Atkinson County is working to protect its youngest passengers. Because when every second counts, preparation can save a life.

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